User-assisted programmable appliance control

• US 7,966,007 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Rudnick, Kenan R., Chuey, Mark D., Harwood, Jody K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan; Kiet
• Application Number:
  US12/372,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/414.1, 380/825.22, 380/21, 340/825.22, 340/525, 340/5.71
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/62 Rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

A universal remote control interacts with a user to assist in training to one or more appliances. If the appliance is activated by a rolling code activation signal, a sequence of different rolling code activation signals is transmitted until the user indicates a successful transmission. If the appliance is activated by a fixed code activation signal, a fixed code word is used to generate and transmit each of a sequence of different fixed code activation signals until the user indicates a successful transmission. At least one of the sequences of activation signals inserts a preset amount of time after each activation signal transmission. If user input is not received within the preset amount of time, the next activation signal in the sequence is transmitted.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an appliance responsive to an activation signal that is based on an appropriate fixed code transmission scheme and has a fixed code associated with the appliance, the system comprising:

a user programming input;

memory holding data describing a plurality of fixed code transmission schemes, wherein one of the transmission schemes is the appropriate fixed code transmission scheme such that the appliance activates upon receiving an activation signal that is based on the one of the transmission schemes and has the fixed code associated with the appliance; and

a transmitter operative to transmit activation signals based on any of the transmission schemes, wherein the transmitter receives a fixed code represented by a sequence of bits from the user programming input and then transmits a sequence of different activation signals including different sets of first and second activation signals until user input indicating activation of the appliance is received by the transmitter, wherein each set of activation signals is based on a respective one of the transmission schemes, each first activation signal includes the sequence of bits representing the received fixed code, and each second activation signal includes a bitwise reversal of the sequence of bits representing the received fixed code, wherein the bitwise reversed sequence is such that the first bit in the sequence of bits representing the received fixed code is the last bit in the bitwise reversed sequence and the last bit in the sequence of bits representing the received fixed code is the first bit in the bitwise reversed sequence, wherein upon receiving the user input indicating activation of the appliance the transmitter determines the transmission scheme of the last transmitted activation signal to be the appropriate transmission scheme and stores in the memory data associating the transmission scheme of the last transmitted activation signal with a user control.